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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "hundred thousand u.s dollars" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
  • ",000,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • ecommerceinfo1@yahoo.de (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: marijm vancosky <infoecommerce@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: ecommerceinfo1@yahoo.de
Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2007 13:37:52 +0200
Subject: E-COMMERCE ONLINE BONUS!!E-ticket number is 36 4 780 800ECF


E-Commerce Foundation International.
Head Office: Brusselsesteenweg 231
B-9030 Overijse
Belgium.
Regional Office: Heidelberglaan 2
3481 CS, Utrecht
The Netherlands.

Attention: You are a winner in our Email Sweepstakes programme.
E-commerce Foundation International is an internet usage promoter. Our =
foundation is approved by relevant regional, continental and international =
authorities.

This organization is largely sponsored and financed by big and prominent =
internet engine operators, hardware/software producers. Our lottery programme =
is aimed promoting internet usage as well as encouraging transactions and =
communications through the internet to foster the ultimate goal of our =
sponsors and major financiers.
However, in our last international email ballot draw recently conducted in =
collaborations with Euro Million International Lottery where e-ticket and =
batch numbers were assigned to the over 350,000 email addresses randomly =
selected through an electronic random selection system (ERSS) from all =
countries around the world and used for the sweepstake (no ticket was sold), =
your email was successful in the first category draw. Your E-ticket number is =
36 4 780 800ECF, Batch Number: EU-LW178904 and winning numbers are =
6-18-22-23-37*5*6. Congratulations!!!

Note, First category winners are entitled to a pay out of $2,800,000.00 (Two =
million eight hundred thousand U.S Dollars) Only. Second category winners are =
entitled to a pay out of $1,800,000.00(one million, eight hundred thousand =
U.S Dollars) Only. While, Third Category winners are entitled to a pay out =
of $1,000,000.00 (one million U.S Dollars) only.

By virtue of the above categorization, you have won the sum of $2.8 million =
U.S Dollars.

Note that we will remit prize payout strictly to winners who officially file =
in for their prize claims and strictly follow the processing procedures. You =
are therefore required to send your details as enumerated below to the Claims =
processing coordinator

PROFESSOR MANDER BOUW representing E-commerce Foundation International/Euro =
million International Lottery.

Tel: +0031619317420
Email:ecommerceinfo1@yahoo.de

The details required of you are:
Your full names: Last Name, First name, other names.

Full Address:

Telephone contact:

Reconfirmation of your email address:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Yours faithfully

Marijm Vancosky.
Executive secretary E-Commerce Foundation International

NB: Persons below 18 years are not eligible and therefore should not reply to =
this email.

"The information in this email may contain confidential information and is =
intended solely for the attention and use of the named addressee(s). It may =
not be disclosed to any person without authorization. If you are not the =
intended recipient, or a person responsible for delivering it to the intended =
recipient, you are not authorized to and must not disclose, copy, distribute =
or retain this message or any part of it."

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam